Lantomalala Raharinosy Point de Contact du Codex de Madagascar  Malgré le contexte de la pandémie du covid 19 et les restrictions y afférentes, le Comité National du Codex Alimentarius de Madagascar a organisé deux jours de réunions (en partie virtuelles et en partie en présentiel) du 6 au 7 mai 2021 qui lui ont permis de rédiger son manuel de procédure et établir son plan triennal 2021-2023 sur la base du plan stratégique du Codex. Ces deux documents nous aideront certainement à [...]

Turkmenistan is among the recipient countries of the Codex Trust Fund. The country started the implementation of its project in January 2021 and in early April 2021, the key stakeholders working with Codex related issues gathered for an inception meeting and planning session. The inception meeting was followed up with a hands-on training on mechanisms and procedures for communication with Codex. The training was held on 29 April 2021 and attended by 16 participants representing State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service [...]

On 29 and 30 April 2021, Uzbekistan held the first meeting of the National Commission on Codex Alimentarius, since 2005, when it first joined Codex. The meeting was held in a hybrid, online format, with the participation of representatives of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, the State Veterinary Committee and development of animal husbandry, State Plant Quarantine Inspection and “Uzstandard” Agency. The meeting agreed that for Uzbekistan to effectively protect the health of consumers from unsafe food [...]

By Hakim Baligeya Mufumbiro Uganda National Bureau of Standards Coordinator for the Codex African Region Partner States in the East African Community (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) participated in an online training on Codex Electronic Working Platform and Online Commenting System from 28 to 30 April 2021 as one of the capacity building activities to enhance the skill and knowledge of stakeholders in the region in order to better engage and participate in the Codex activities. Considering the [...]

Veterinarians traditionally have a crucial role in the advancement and maintenance of food safety for the benefit of consumers. Changes in our food production and supply, new and emerging bacteria, toxins, and antimicrobial resistance can affect the safety of large amounts of food in a short time. The role of veterinarians has changed throughout the history and today they are actively involved in all aspects of the food chain, from providing food animal producers with guidance for waste management; protecting waterways [...]

The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) began today with a series of virtual sessions running from 20 to 29 April 2021. Welcoming delegates and speaking on behalf of the hosts India, Mr. D. Sathiyan, Secretary of the Spices Board underlined the physical, technological and logistical challenges facing the committee. “It is heartening and encouraging to note that even in the midst of this difficult situation, the Member Countries have shown tremendous interest in the spices and culinary [...]

A series of regional training webinars on food safety based on risk assessment and Codex Alimentarius Standards took place in the Republic of Kazakhstan from 7 to 9 April 2021. The webinar series was arranged by the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CSEC) jointly with the "National Center of Expertise" at CSEC and the Codex Alimentarius Group in Kazakhstan. Participants included representatives of business operators of the Kyzylorda region, the [...]

 Malawi launched its Codex Trust Fund Project on 1 April 2021 at the Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe. The Minister of Health for Malawi, the Honourable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP, presided over the launch of the project entitled: “Building Strong, Solid and Sustainable National Capacity to Engage in Codex”. The launch was attended by various stakeholders whose activities are related to Codex, food safety, agriculture, trade, health and human nutrition. These included Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies from Agriculture, Health, Trade, Industry [...]

On 18 March 2021, the Codex Contact Point in Guatemala presented an FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund project, that aims to strengthen Codex programmes, to national and technical committee members in Guatemala with the virtual participation of the Codex Contact Point of El Salvador. Guatemala and El Salvador have been members of the Codex Alimentarius since 1968 and 1975, respectively and both countries recognise the contribution of the Codex Alimentarius to the fulfilment of their national public health and trade objectives. Codex [...]

Food allergies may impact only parts of the world’s population, but that impact can be lethal. People with food allergies have only limited options to prevent allergic reactions, by knowing exactly what causes allergies and avoiding the particular food. In March 2021, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific published “Food allergies – Leaving no one behind”. The booklet explains that it is important to manage food allergies within local contexts. It is critical for countries to understand what [...]